Icelandic black metal formation, Auðn, have released a video for the title track of the studio album Vökudraumsins fangi, available via via Season Of Mist. The clip contains stunning historic images of the band's native Iceland, provided by the National Film Archive of Iceland // Kvikmyndasafn Íslands. The video was edited by Andri Björn Birgisson.

Auðn comment: ""Vökudraumsins fangi" is the title song of our new album and deals with what we perceive to be real until our minds decide otherwise. Waking up in another time, feeling someone else's presence within your being with memories foreign to you, feeling trapped in a perpetual nightmare, you begin to wonder if the life you believe you've led even existed at all."

Order the album here. Artwork by Mýrmann.

“Einn um alla tíð”
“Eldborg”
“Birtan hugann brennir”
“Verður von að bráð”
“Drepsótt”
“Næðir um”
“Horfin mér”
“Á himin stara”
“Ljóstýra”
“Vökudraumsins fangi”

Album stream:

(Photo - Daria Endresen)




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Czech sophisticated black metal force, Somniate, have spawned a brand new video for the song "In Bone Incorruptible".The track is featured on the band's debut album, The Meyrinkian Slumber, available via Lavadome Productions and Cloven Hoof on CD/LP/MC/Digital formats.

Arcane visuals and the album concept were forged under the influence of Gustav Meyrink's esoteric novel Der Golem (1915). Video was produced by Zdeněk Klekner, the lead vocalist of the band.

The album's five tracks represent a sophisticated black metal flight above the esoteric plot of the writer´s masterpiece. A tale of searching for the ascension through identity shifts, alchemical concepts and suffering, all set in a distorted vision of Prague. Mixed and mastered at the infamous BST Studio (Aosoth, The Order of Apollyon, Totalitarian).

The iconography of the album's cover art was crafted by View From The Coffin:

Tracklisting:

“The Sleepless Stone”
“Rephaim”
“In Bone Incorruptible”
“A Penitentiary Triptych”
“Of Fragrance And Light”

“Of Fragrance And Light”:

Album stream:




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Slipknot co-founder, Clown has announced Clown Cannabis, a first-of-its-kind partnership with Hollister Cannabis Co. and Heavy Grass, the loudest weed brand in the world. The collaboration features special-edition HashBone packs featuring six half-gram pre-rolls with matches, packaged in a soft-touch, matte black case.

Clown has long been a major advocate of marijuana’s widely reported medical benefits. The plant has been known to aid people with a large spectrum of health issues including anxiety, nausea, muscle and joint pain, as well as assisting with a range of chronic and inflammatory conditions. Not only that, it is acknowledged that cannabis is a useful therapeutic tool that can amplify creative and artistic endeavors. Clown tells us; "Remember, it's just medicine."

Additionally, Clown was adamant he would not enter the marijuana business until he had found the right opportunity to create the very best product possible - he is thrilled to collaborate with Hollister Cannabis Co. and Heavy Grass for these exclusive Clown Cannabis pre-rolls.

Branded with original artwork, Clown's signature HashBone line contains a 75% potent, uplifting indica flower, hand-blended with 25% Paradise Citrus bubble hash. The signature premium indica flower features an earthy citrus-rich flavor profile, with sublime sedating effects. Paradise Citrus, made from crossing Tropicana Cookies and Tina, adds another layer of full-body relaxation with happy head highs and citrusy notes of orchard-fresh sour orange. Lab testing confirms the potency of these hash-infused pre-rolls with THC levels above 40%. It is currently available in California from DreamyDelivery.com, plus selected other retail dispensaries and delivery services. 

HashBone, the No. 1 hash-infused pre-roll in California, is one of Hollister's signature products, and Clown Cannabis represents the first collaborative release between Hollister, Heavy Grass and one of its artists. Carl Saling, the Co-Founder, CEO and Director of Hollister Biosciences tells us, "We are very excited to be launching our HashBone collaboration with Clown. We couldn't ask for a better partner and someone who is true to the plant. This partnership is our first step in combining hard rock/metal with cannabis in a truly authentic way. Additionally, we are happy that we get to bring Clown to market in tandem with our friends at Heavy Grass - leveraging their experience in music-inspired cannabis products will amplify our overall marketing efforts.”

In celebration of the release of Clown Cannabis, Heavy Grass are offering a once in a lifetime Green Ticket experience. The winner of Clown’s Green Ticket will receive unlimited entrance for two into any Slipknot shows in the world for the next three years. For entry details and rules, visit theheavygrass.com. 

 




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DISTURBED singer David Draiman was one of the speakers at last November's Immersia Connect virtual event from Immersia, a new comprehensive storytelling platform for people to engage and discover the benefits of cannabis and overall wellness. Draiman talked about his long relationship with the plant that he tributes his wellbeing to.

He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I guess I first tried cannabis when I was in seventh grade — way, way back in the day. Herb and I have a long history together. It has always been a perfect means of balancing for me — for being able to achieve clarity and peace. My brain can be a pretty busy and insane place, and my ability to be creative has been helped tremendously and aided tremendously through the calm and serenity achieved from a THC high. I would say 95 percent of the music that I've written was written under the influence of cannabis.

"From a health perspective, one of the things that has plagued me over the course of my life — it's hereditary — is high blood pressure," he continued. "If I'm doing cannabis on a regular basis, I don't even need to touch the blood pressure meds. It regulates it better than any pill I've come across and does it so much more comfortably.

"I can't even stress the amount of benefit I get from having a touring body that has suffered 24 years of this business to have something that has anti-inflammatory agents that continuously work to keep my inflammation and my pain that I have all over my body from what I've done to it over the course of my career in check. I don't have to take Advil on a daily basis, like a lot of other people do. I don't have to take my blood pressure meds. I don't have to worry about a lot of the things that people need other medication to worry about.

"Truth be told, it brings you, besides the mental calmness and serenity, the physical calmness and serenity that goes along with it," Draiman added. "I can't say enough about what cannabis can do."

DISTURBED's song "Fire It Up", which appeared on the band's 2015 album "Immortalized", opens with the sound of a bong hit and was inspired by the singer's pot-smoking routine.

Draiman told Revolver in a 2015 interview that marijuana plays a huge part in his songwriting process. "I'll have a very skeletal musical idea in my head, and then I'll light one up, go in the shower and let the steam kind of build up," he said. "It helps me relax, and I can see the gaps. I can see the holes in the rhythm and the melody and I'll know where I can go, and what the possibilities are. It helps me be able to perceive everything a little bit more clearly."

Draiman told The Pulse Of Radio that "Fire It Up" was inspired by a recording session where he sang DISTURBED's cover of SIMON AND GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" while high. "I was done with the day and I wanted to relax, so I went ahead and I smoked a bowl," he laughed. "[I] came back and was high out of my mind and no, no, by no means ready to track vocals by any stretch of the imagination. And they all encouraged me to go into the vocal booth, and I was pretty blown away. I hadn't heard my voice that vulnerable in a very, very long time."

Asked what his favorite strain of marijuana is, Draiman told Artisan News: "If I can find Kush of any kind anywhere I go, that's the preferable… I love it. If I go to Amsterdam, I'll hunt down the master Kush over at the greenhouse the minute I get there, I still love White Widow too, I still love Bubblegum, I still love a bunch of 'em, but there is no substitute for Kush. Kush is just, to me, the be-all, end-all. I'm much of an Indica guy than a Sativa guy anyway, so I like the more stony kind of thing, 'cause that's what puts me in the right zone for creativity anyway. I'm not looking to wake up from it."

Sinhue "Sin" Quirin has announced his departure from MINISTRY.

The guitarist, who had played with the industrial metal pioneers, on and off, since 2007, confirmed his spit with MINISTRY in a post on his personal Facebook page earlier today (Friday, May 14).

He wrote: "Hey everyone, I hope you're having a great Friday. I wanted to let you all know something that's been on my mind for a while. I've decided to step down from MINISTRY. I'm in a much different place in my life right now and I feel the time is right for me to focus on my health, my personal life, as well as other projects and interests. MINISTRY will always be family to me. They all know I love them very much and that I want nothing but the best for them and much success. Thank you for your continued support everyone. Love you all!"

Quirin's exit from MINISTRY comes less than a year and a half after he was accused by two women of engaging in sexual intercourse with them while they were 15 and 16 years old. In a SPIN report published on Billboard, both women alleged that they each met Quirin following concerts by his band SOCIETY 1, which predated his time in MINISTRY.

Through his attorney, Quirin denied ever having had "any sexual relationship with anyone under the age of majority." He attorney also claimed that MINISTRY's Al Jourgensen was "unaware of any of potential nefarious activity by any member of MINISTRY during their respective tenure(s) with the band including but not limited to Mr. Sin Quirin."

Last month, Quirin's 3 HEADED SNAKE project released a new single, "Tyrants". Sin is joined in the group by former MINISTRY drummer Derek S. Abrams, guitarist Diego "Ashes" Ibarra of DEVILDRIVER, vocalist Johnny Ray and bassist D.V. Karloff.

Photo courtesy of Sin Quirin's Facebook page

HEART's Nancy Wilson has released a Jeremy Danger Pictures-directed music video for her cover version of PEARL JAM's "Daughter". She originally recorded the track for Netflix's "I Am All Girls", a South African film which shines a light on human trafficking,

Nancy said about the song, and its connection to the film: "I initially recorded 'Daughter' for the film, a powerful story about sex trafficking in South Africa. I was drawn to the global tragedy of human trafficking and the lyrics sung from a women's perspective also mirror the power of the girls' untold stories. This film is a revelation and sheds meaning and light on these realities. Trafficking is a global phenomenon that impacts women around the world. I recorded this version as an anthem to them."

Nancy's version of "Daughter" also appears on her debut solo album, "You And Me", which came out on May 7 via Carry On Music. The LP was recorded primarily in Wilson's California home studio, working with band members and special guests remotely. Most of the tracks are originals, but Wilson decided to include a handful of covers by a few of her favorites, including a stirring turn of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Boxer" featuring Sammy Hagar, and an ethereal cover of THE CRANBERRIES' "Dreams", featuring Liv Warfield (Prince) from Nancy's previous band ROADCASE ROYALE. The first single from the album was Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising", which dropped last fall.

The other eight tracks are originals, mostly acoustic ballads, but there are also some rousing rockers like "Party At The Angel Ballroom" which features a superstar backing band, including Duff McKagan of GUNS N' ROSES and Taylor Hawkins of the FOO FIGHTERS. The album ends with a song that captures the full spectrum of loss, love and redemption in one instrumental coda. Titled "4 Edward", it is Nancy's tribute to Eddie Van Halen, whose 2020 loss still looms large over music.

The title track "You And Me", as with several of the songs on the album, reunites Wilson with longtime collaborator Sue Ennis, who co-wrote many of HEART's classics with Nancy and sister Ann.

With her band HEART, Nancy Wilson has recorded 16 albums, sold over 35 million albums worldwide and has four Grammy nominations. She had previously released one other album with just her name on it, "Live At McCabe's Guitar Shop", which captured her playing a set of covers and new songs in 1999. But Nancy considers this her first true solo album, a positive creative move amid a surreal year of loss; life during lockdown.

Though Stone Sour is currently in the midst of an indefinite hiatus, guitarist Josh Rand is anything but inactive. In fact, he's teamed up with Springfield-based vocalist Casandra Carson for a brand-new creative outlet, The L.I.F.E. Project, reports Sam Roche of Guitar World.

While we'll have to wait until later in the year to hear the duo's debut EP, their first single "The Nothingness" – which arrived in April – offers a taste of what's to come. Check out a newly released guitar playthrough video of that very song, followed by the official video.

Speaking with Behind The Vinyl in May 2020, Rand revealed The L.I.F.E. Project was in the works, although the name hadn't been decided on at the time.

Rand: "It definitely is different than what I think most people would expect. I decided if I was gonna do anything that I wanted it not to sound like tone Sour, because it's going to, to some degree. A lot of them are piano based, and I'm running with it like that. I've also started incorporating all these different instruments - all kinds of crazy percussion and stuff - because I just wanted to have fun and be creative and not try to write the next '30/30-150' or have that pressure of trying to do that."

For further details, visit The L.I.F.E. Project on Facebook.

 




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A Pale Horse Named Death have announced their new album, Infernum In Terra, for September 24th, 2021 via Long Branch Records / SPV.

Infernum In Terra is the fourth studioalbum by the band led by founding Type O Negative and Life of Agony member Sal Abruscato and has been mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Meat Loaf, Yes, Sepultura, Halford etc.) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering (California,USA) while the artwork was done by Kelvin Doran of Serpent Tusk Studios (Dublin, Ireland). 

"The album to me represents a new beginning, turning a new leaf shall we say with the same vibe from past albums but with a fresh open minded approach," says Abruscato. He adds: "There is no real concrete specific concept, it touches on some personal topics in my life long, my interest in the dark arts, that to have light you must have darkness to balance everything. With daylight comes nightfall, with heaven there is hell and at this moment the world seems to be in a very dark place hence the title of the album Infernum In Terra. This is a very dark album, but what else is new I always write dark music to sooth a dark soul!"

Infernum In Terra is available for pre-order here.

A Pale Horse Named Death have also announced their new single, "Believe In Something (You Are Lost)" for May 28th. You can pre-save the new single here.

Tracklist 

"Infernum"
"Believe In Something (You Are Lost)"
"Cast Out From The Sky"
"Shards Of Glass"
"Lucifer's Sun"
"It Is Done"
"Two Headed Snake (Propofol Dreams)"
"Slave To The Master"
"Devil's Deed"
"Reflections Of The Dead"
"Souls In The Abyss"




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Swedish guitarist and producer Ola Englund, renowned for his work with Six Feet Under, The Haunted and Feared, recently released his second solo album, Starzinger, on CD, vinyl and digital download. Mixed and mastered by Clawfinger’s Jocke Skog, Starzinger follows-up Englund’s debut solo album, Master Of The Universe, released in early 2018 and features Delta Empire on drums along with a number of guest appearances, including guitar virtuoso Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore).

Check out a playthrough video of "Balegmah" from the album featuring Loomis in action.

Portraying the artwork of Costin Chioreanu (Paradise Lost, At The Gates, Emperor), Starzinger sees Englund merging influences of prog with '80s rock and metal.

Tracklist:

"Stars & Ponies"
"Cringy AF"
"Space Invaders"
"Demon(etized)"
"Bane of Skeletor"
"Bluesy McBluesface"
"Balegmah"
"Sun & The Moon"
"A Bid Farewell"

Stream Starzinger in full below:

"I’m extremely excited to see the release of my second solo album Starzinger, this album being a little bit more metal oriented than my first Master Of The Universe album. It’s a weird feeling because it’s basically just showing the current state of me and where I am in life. Hoping that the people that follow what I do can see the parallels. This one is for you," says Englund about this new effort.

With over 300K subscribers on his tech/music Youtube channel, over the last few years, Ola Englund has also built a strong reputation in the music scene by playing in several bands, most prominently in Feared and The Haunted. Just recently Englund also founded his own guitar company called Solar Guitars, which was meet with great success and currently sponsors artists like Exhorder, The Haunted and At The Gates.




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Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Rubikon: a new collaboration featuring Turkish artist Cenk Eroglu (Winger, Xcarnation) and singer John Bisaha (The Babys). Through Frontiers, Eroglu was introduced to Bisaha and they started Rubikon, which is going to offer fans nothing but pure and unadulterated melodic rock harkening back to the glory days of AOR and bringing it forward to this day. They are currently recording their debut album with Eroglu's young son Efe (guitars, keyboards) and some special guest musicians like Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr. Mister), Ray Coburn (Honeymoon Suite), and Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake) among others. Rubikon's debut album is anticipated for release in 2022. 

"As a composer and producer I've worked on many different styles of music, but in my heart I have always been a melodic rock musician,” says Cenk Eroglu. "I recorded demos in this style between 1984 and 1998 and wrote more than 500 songs, all of which are pure, classic melodic rock. I tried to find the right singer/songwriter partner for years and it was an impossible mission. Meeting John Bisaha was a miracle. He is not only an amazing singer/songwriter, but also, spiritually, he was the missing piece for my reason to write songs. Together, we chose 11 songs for this album and I truly believe they are really unique. We called our band Rubikon (yes, that river in Italy that Caesar crossed - if you know the story). I was on the edge of that river for many years and I crossed it when John and I joined forces. If you are in love with real melodic rock, then this is it! I am so thankful that I found John and Frontiers to lead the way. I can't wait to share these songs with you!"

"As a child born in the early '60s, I have had the pleasure of being exposed to an extraordinary range of music and styles. "From Bach to rock", as many say. When I really started getting into music, I locked myself in my room in my teen years to absorb as much as I could and sing as many styles as I could. I naturally gravitated to the 'then' styles of rock, which are now considered 'classic/melodic/album-oriented'. We really had no genre name for it back then! When my 'style' of music left for a sabbatical when the flannel shirts and rap took over the airwaves, I knew I had to recreate myself and hoped the day would come for a rebirth of my style of music. I have followed Frontiers for quite awhile now and hoped for the day that I could become part of the family and bring a bit of myself (and my family!) to the party. Once I was contacted by Mario and put in touch with Cenk, all of the pieces fell together. It just felt right! I've partnered up with a great songwriter, musician, producer, but more importantly, a friend and partner, something that is found rarely in these days. Thank you Mario, Serafino, and the rest of The Frontiers Family for this opportunity. I think you'll enjoy what comes out of this," says vocalist John Bisaha. 

For further details, follow Rubikon on Facebook.

 

 




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Progressive metal artist Austin Taft has released a video for his song "Just Above Zero". The track is from his album Skeletons which will be issued on CD on May 28th 2021.

Austin commented: "In my view, songs should reward the listener for listening to the whole thing. If the listener hears one minute of a song and wouldn't miss much in the way of new information by skipping the rest, it feels like a missed opportunity. So with that philosophy in mind, this song (and the album it is sourced from) aims to be exciting, challenging and unpredictable. The lyrics are about how frequently opportunities to improve situations for humankind seem to be squandered, whether at the ballot box or otherwise."

Skeletons artwork and tracklisting:

"Skeletons" 
"Endless Sky" 
"A Winning Strategy" 
"The Ladder" 
"Diminishing Returns (All Around)" 
"Just Above Zero"
"The Line" 
"Unraveling" 
"The Road To Happiness"

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

 




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On June 21st, CRS (aka Cirrosis) from the northwest of Mexico lashes out with the release of new material entitled Live In Isolation. It's a four track EP recorded in an exclusive live session for the online festival Moshfest in September 2020, which includes a previously unrealesed song "The Daydreamer's Nightmare" premiered on this EP with a guest singer Quetzalín Dominguez from the Mexican band Lost Nebula.

CRS is still as impressive as it was in the '90s. Sir Oz lets out angry screams of despair, Chucky sits on his throne as one of the greatest metal guitarists in Mexico proving that it's not all about complexity, but about good and powerful riffs and well-structured solos, going from style to style, and coloring with amazing acoustics and melodies, Tavo Ramírez shows the technical and precision level that a Latin American drummer can have, blast beats, good nuances but above all good taste. As if that were not enough, they have an extraordinary collaboration, the virtuoso and famous bassist Kello Gonzalez (Parazit, Nata) accompanies them providing innovative bass arrangements that show that great musicians end up recognizing themselves.

The EP was recorded, mixed and mastered by its guitarist and multi-nominee Grammy: Francisco “Chucky” Oroz. But not everything ends there, the EP offers two live songs as bonus tracks recorded in 2000 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, “Fariseos” and “Negando lo No Negadi” in both tracks it's possible to appreciate why they were the kings of the stage.

Tracklisting:

"Kill My Name"
"Tan Lejos De Dios" 
"The Daydreamers Nightmare" 
"I Am The Universe" 
"Fariseos" (bonus track only on CD)  
"Negando lo No Negado" (bonus track only on CD)

For further details, visit CRS (Cirrosis) on Facebook.

 




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David Ellefson's longtime business partner Thom Hazaert says that he had nothing to do with the leak of the MEGADETH bassist's messages and videos featuring a woman who is not his wife.

Over the weekend, sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the 56-year-old Ellefson were posted on Twitter. The longtime MEGADETH member later released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

On Tuesday (May 11), Hazaert took to his Instagram to share a photo of him with his middle finger extended, and he included the following message: "This one goes out to the chatty fuckers trying to whisper that I had something to do with what happened to David. David Ellefson is a grown fucking man and fully and solely responsible for his own decisions and judgment. But know... #ISeeYouMotherfucker".

When one person commented under Thom's photo that David should be commended "for getting out in front of it like a real man should" and "own[ing] up to his behavior", Hazaert responded: "absolutely.. which for the record.. I actually helped him do."

In his statement on Monday, Ellefson wrote: "As you may or not know, some private and personal conversations and interactions have surfaced online, released with ill intention by a third party who was not authorized to have them or share them. While certainly embarrassing, I want to address it as openly and honestly as possible.

"As much as it's not something I'm proud of, these were private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family," he continued. "The other party involved has made a statement which you can see below. I thank her for doing so and hope that this clarifies that the situation was not at all as presented."

Ellefson's statement was accompanied by a screenshot of a social media post from the woman involved, who denied any suggestions that she was underage at the time. The woman also revealed she recorded the intimate moments and shared them with a friend without Ellefson's permission, calling herself "naïve" for doing so and claiming that the contact between her and the musician was "all consensual and all online." She also called assumptions that she was "groomed" by Ellefson "misinformation".

"Yes, those video calls did happen, but I was the one to initiate it and never was I underage, I was always a consenting adult. Nothing inappropriate ever happened before that. It was all consensual, I'm not a victim and I have not been groomed in the slightest as I was the one to initiate it," the woman stated.

David, who became a Lutheran pastor nearly a decade ago, and his wife Julie Ellefson have been married for 27 years. They reportedly dated for six years after getting together in 1988. After two days of engagement, they married on April 2, 1994. They have two children, Roman Alexander (25) and Athena Grace (22).

Ellefson, who has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1994, is also an author and entrepreneur, with Hazaert, holding the reins of EMP Label Group, Combat Records, Ellefson Coffee Co., and more, in addition to a diverse portfolio of brands and signature products. Ellefson was also inducted into the 2018 class of the Iowa Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, just over the border from Jackson in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
























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A post shared by Thom Hazaert (@thomhazaert)

Dear friends,
after more than 26 years of band history, we unfortunately have to inform you that for the time being we will be traveling with only 6 members. Boris “Yellow Pfeiffer” has decided to go other ways and will no longer be part of the band from now on.
Over the many years of working together, living conditions, perspectives and priorities change. At the many intersections where we stood together as a band during the entire time, we always managed to decide on a path that the individual and the band could live with. Unfortunately this time it was no longer possible and we could not find a consensus.
Nevertheless, we will not despair and continue to hunt for the sun. Our compass shows us the way and we do not give up hope that we will soon be able to rock the stages with you again.
We thank Boris for the many years together and wish him all the best on his future path!
Stay healthy and take care of yourselves
Your 6 In Extremos

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis has railed against the U.S. government, saying that we are "allowing the dumbest fucking people in this country to dictate what our lives are and aren't."

The outspoken conservative rocker, who reinvented himself as a solo country artist in the last decade, voiced his views before performing a new song called "Am I The Only One" during a recent livestream.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I feel like my fucking chest is gonna explode when I hear these fucking idiots that call themselves experts about anything.

"I swear to God, I don't know what has happened to this country, but we are listening to and allowing the dumbest fucking people in this country to dictate what our lives are and aren't. We've allowed a federal government that has the given authority to do eighteen things efficiently and properly, and look where we are. Eighteen things, people — eighteen. Those are the powers they're given by the Constitution. Eighteen. Everything else is supposed to happen at the state and local level, so that it's connected to you.

"How many people actually know the Constitution — outside the people that are watching this thread right now, because if you're watching this thread, then you don't hate me for the things that I say.

"See, here's the problem," he added. "And this is it in a nutshell. And it applies to so many of you out there that are listening, that aren't listening. I'm about to turn 49 years old. I was alive for, let's call it, 40 years before this incessant assault on our history, on our culture, on everything, for political purposes. They're attacking our character so that they get further in their political life, and we're allowing it to happen.

"I'm gonna paraphrase Einstein right now. Einstein said that — and I say 'paraphrase' because I don't know if I'm gonna get it exactly right — he said that this country and this world, it won't be destroyed by evil men; it'll be destroyed by good men that stand idly by while evil men do what they do. I want you to think about that."

Lewis originally performed "Am I The Only One" in March at a solo concert in Texas — a state which removed all pandemic restrictions that same month.

The as-yet-unreleased track, which finds Aaron asking if he is the only one fed up with the state of the country right now, features such lyrics as: "Am I the only one, who can't take no more, screaming if you don't like it there's the fucking door, this ain't the freedom we've been fighting for, it was something more, yeah, it was something more."

Apparently addressing the removal of Confederate statues, Lewis sings in the song: "Am I the only one willing to fight for my love of the red and white, and the blue, burning on the ground as the statues coming down in a town near you, watching the threads of Old Glory come undone, Am I the only one. I can't be the only one."

Lewis also criticized Bruce Springsteen at the end of the track, singing: "Am I the only one, who quit singing along every time they play a Springsteen song."

Springsteen can best be described as Lewis's political polar opposite, having been a vocal opponent to former U.S. president Donald Trump on many occasions. Last August, Bruce went as far as to allow the use of his song "The Rising" in a video that aired during night one of the Democratic National Convention.

Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, told the Anchorage Press in a January 2020 interview that he considered the first Trump impeachment by the House Of Representatives as the clearest representation of what's wrong with America these days.

Lewis was a staunch critic of President Barack Obama, telling a crowd at one of his solo concerts in 2016: "Barack Obama should have been impeached a long fucking time ago. Every fucking decision he makes is against the Constitution, it's against what's good for our fucking country, and he is truly the worst fucking president that we have ever had in the history of this fucking country."

That same year, Lewis told Billboard that he would support Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race, even though he was "disappointed" by the real estate mogul "with the bickering and the name-calling." Lewis added that he voted for Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the Republican nomination race, in the Massachusetts primary.

DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the postponement of the band's "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS. The trek, which was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021, will now take place in 2022.

"I knew that [another postponement] was a possibility, but that news couldn't come from me," Rick said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I think whether it's sports, whether it's music, whether it's theater, all of the promoters, it was their call. I happen to think they made the right decision, because I think the primary focus has gotta be people's health and well-being. So I understand why they made that decision.

"I think if we had gone out this year, it may have been a bit more of a patchwork of a tour as opposed to being able to play the whole thing from start to finish," he added. "So, it's a bummer, but here we are.

"I kind of knew it was coming, because when I saw RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, when I saw their tour get pushed, I was, like, 'You know what? It's a bummer, but I think we're probably gonna be next.'"

Allen went on to say that he and his DEF LEPPARD bandmates are disappointed that they won't be able to perform live again in the U.S. until next year. "We're really bummed, 'cause, obviously, we wanted to get out there," he said. "It's been a long time. And I know — our fans are so loyal. It's incredible. The fact that we got the largest vote for the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame — the fan vote. So our fans are just particularly special; I mean, they've always been a rock. So I feel for them. And I feel for us. But I just want people to come out and be safe."

Prior to the latest postponement, "The Stadium Tour" was slated to kick off on June 19, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee and conclude on September 12, 2021 in San Diego, California.

The trek will now launch on June 16, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia and run through September 7, 2022 in San Francisco, California.

As of January 30, 2020, "The Stadium Tour" had already grossed $130 million from one million tickets sold, plus another $5 million worth of VIP seats, according to Billboard.

Tickets ranged from $150 to $400, not counting some varied pricing that reflected demand as part of "dynamic pricing."

When it happens, "The Stadium Tour" will mark the CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017 — but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of concerts and festivals have either been postponed or canceled, as social distancing and self-quarantining make performing live music and attending live shows all but impossible.

U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Americans to heed what federal, state and local officials are asking of them in order to curtail the spread and dampen the impact of the virus on the populat

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Thunder Underground" podcast, WARRANT singer Robert Mason was asked if there has been any talk of a follow-up to 2017's "Louder Harder Faster" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Not as far as a defined schedule, but we're always writing. In all candor, the focus for 2019 was the 30th anniversary of 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich' and that tour. And then, on the heels of that, in September of 1990, 'Cherry Pie' was released, so 2020 was the 30th anniversary — or is, [and] has been — for the 'Cherry Pie' record. So, in early 2020, we revamped the stage set, staging — everything — and were all set, like '1, 2, 3, go.' We stopped to do a 30th-anniversary-of-'Cherry Pie' tour, playing all, if not damn near all, of those songs as the focus. And, like I said, the light, staging, the whole vibe of it was kind of to pay tribute to the 30th anniversary and all the fans that love the 'Cherry Pie' record so much. So, I think we're just taking a mulligan — if you play golf, we're just taking a mulligan on 2020 and we're going straight in in June and beyond and go right forward to do a 30th-anniversary-of-'Cherry Pie' tour. So, once we feel that we've gotten that out of our system enough, we'll probably end up writing songs."

A year ago, WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner told the "Talking Metal" podcast that the group was "throwing some ideas around" for a new LP. He said: "I've been sending Robert some riffs, and Robert's been working on songs. I've got a song going with Jerry [Dixon, bass]. So it's a slow, long process for us, but the seed of a new record has been started. Now, that doesn't mean the seed will grow into a record. We've got a long way to go. We don't have one finished song. We've got a couple of things cooking, and we're actually sending ideas around back and forth to each other."

"Louder Harder Faster" was released in May 2017. The disc was recorded with producer Jeff Pilson — a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others — and was mixed by Pat Regan, except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).

Mason replaced original WARRANT frontman Jani Lane in 2008 and has brought a degree of stability to the band after Lane's unceremonious departure and subsequent 2011 death.

WARRANT is rounded out by original members Joey Allen (guitar) and Steven Sweet (drums).

Dino Cazares spoke to Finland's Kaaos TV about FEAR FACTORY's recently launched search for a vocalist to replace the band's original lead singer, Burton C. Bell. The guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We have a lot of people who sent in video submissions, and I wanna thank them all for that. The love that we were getting from people who wanted to fill Burt's shoes was enormous. But I can tell you this: no announcement is going to be made for a while. We wanna get along with the person; we wanna see if we have the right chemistry.

"[There are] some really good talented [candidates] — male and female," he continued. "And my decision will not be based off gender at all whatsoever. Gender does not play a role in my decision. So if it's a female and she can do the job, great. If it's a male, they can do the job and they're ready to commit, they're ready to go on tour, on the road, and they can handle it, great."

Asked if he is looking for a singer who will sound very similar to Bell or someone with a completely different approach, Dino said: "Whoever we pick has to know the style. And they have to be able to do both. No, they don't have to sound like Burt. Some people might want that. Some people might want them to be identical — kind of like what JOURNEY did. That guy [Arnel Pineda] — that guy sounds identical [to Steve Perry]… I think that in the JOURNEY sense, the original [singer] was better years ago. But that doesn't mean he's better now, because he's aged and his voice has changed. Whereas if you get a new, young replacement that sounds identical from way back when the original sounded really good way back, then it can be a plus. I mean, look at Todd La Torre with QUEENSRŸCHE; that guy sounds amazing. He does sound like Geoff Tate, but he also has other elements — fresher elements — that he brings to the band. So it can work. 'Cause as you know, we have different eras to FEAR FACTORY. Some people love the 'Demanufacture' / 'Obsolete' era, and some people like the later era. And if you noticed, over the years, obviously, [Burt's] voice changed. So, what era do you want the guy to sound like? So, my decision will based off the guy who can do all the different eras."

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "Aggression Continuum", will be released on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Cazares and Bell alongside drummer Mike Heller. It was produced and engineered by Damien Rainaud (DRAGONFORCE, ONCE HUMAN), with keyboards by Igor Khoroshev (ex-YES), and programming on two songs from longtime collaborator Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY). "Aggression Continuum" was mixed by A-list rock and metal producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM), who also mixed FEAR FACTORY's previous album, 2015's "Genexus".

Last September, Bell issued a statement officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY, saying that he "cannot align" himself with someone whom he does not trust or respect.

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's new LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

In October, Dino issued a statement in which he said that the door for Burton to come back to FEAR FACTORY wouldn't "stay open forever." The guitarist also revealed that Burton "lost his legal rights" to the FEAR FACTORY name "after a long court battle" with drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers. "I had the opportunity to do something right, and I felt that obtaining the name in full was the right thing to do for the both of us, so after nearly four years we can continue as FEAR FACTORY, to make more records and to tour," he said. "That is why it is sad to hear that he decided to quit and, in my opinion, for whatever issues he has it seems like it could've been worked out."

Josh Rand, multi-instrumentalist, veteran songwriter and long-tenured guitarist of the Grammy-nominated rock outfit STONE SOUR, and his THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT partner, co-songwriter and vocalist Casandra Carson, have dropped a new song, "Ignite". It is the second track to be released from THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's debut, self-titled EP, which will be released on July 9. Pre-orders are available now exclusively here. Vinyl, CD and cassettes are all hand signed and numbered with an exclusive gold variant available only from Nuclear Blast and an exclusive glow in the dark variant available only from MerchNow.

"Ignite" is accompanied by a lyric video and pays homage to the heavy riffing of KORN thanks to the special guitar Rand used to play the song. In his own words, he says: "'Ignite' is the first time I've written and recorded a song with a seven-string guitar. I got this guitar in a trade with Munky from KORN when we were out on tour with them 2017. I gave the song a KORN-like vibe in the main riff as an homage to the band."

Speaking on the lyrical content of the song, Casandra adds: "'Ignite' is all about allowing yourself to be happy. Personally, sometimes I feel bad about doing well or having success when the people I love are having a rough time."

"Ignite" follows THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT's debut release "The Nothingness" which was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms, including "Rock Hard" on Spotify, "Breaking Metal" on Apple Music, "Break Through Rock" on Amazon and "Metal Radar" on Deezer. The track was also included on SiriusXM Octane's Test Drive the week it was released.

Nurturing the project from concept to execution, the instrumentation was written, arranged, recorded and produced by Rand in his home studio and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, PARKWAY DRIVE). Completing the collaborative effort with the addition of Carson, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT presents an important milestone in an already decorated career for Rand, one that was punctuated with the addition of a one-of-a-kind vocal lead that understood how to compliment the music with her lyrical pen. The resulting introduction of THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a five-track EP that offers a complete presentation of a songwriter asserting his stride after more than two decades steeped in his craft. Building off the sonic stamp he established during his six albums, twenty-year tenure with STONE SOUR, Rand's current iteration holds true to his track record, without relying on it, all while penning a new chapter in his artistic anthology.

Stylistically, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand's penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy. From the ethereal, cinematic soundscape of the piano-latent ballad in "Worthwhile" to the sonic sledgehammer of "A World On Fire", the broad spectrum resonates as especially impressive. Between Rand's instrumental framework, accentuated by Carson's ability to articulate poignant stanzas, THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT remains a passion project culminating in perfect collaboration.

"The L.I.F.E. Project" EP track listing:

01. Ignite

02. Purgatory

03. The Nothingness

04. Worthwhile

05. A World On Fire

STONE SOUR has been off the road and out of sight since completing the touring cycle for its 2017 LP "Hydrograd". Singer Corey Taylor has been working with SLIPKNOT since then, recording and touring behind that group's sixth effort, "We Are Not Your Kind". He also released his debut solo album, CMFT", last October. Rand has been promoting STONE SOUR's new live album, "Hello, You Bastards: Live In Reno", which came out in December 2019.

Last August, Corey said that he was open to doing more recording and touring with STONE SOUR at some point down the line. Asked if there is "a future" for STONE SOUR or if it's "kind of up in the air," Corey told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation Virtual Invasion": "It's kind of up in the air. I'm certainly not mad at STONE SOUR. [My solo album] is just something that has my attention; this is what I wanna do for a while.

"There's been some contention here and there, in the past — nothing that I'm gonna get into too much detail about — but it was just time for me to step away and do [the solo thing] for a while," he continued. "It was time for me to kind of do something different, and do it in a way that doesn't have the connotations of either band, to be honest.

"I'm still friends with everybody in STONE SOUR. Everybody in STONE SOUR is doing their own thing, and if the opportunity arose, I would absolutely do something with STONE SOUR. But for right now, this is really where my energy's at; this is where my focus is.

"I'll never say never, because, obviously, the best way to make God laugh is to announce your plans out loud," he added. "But this is what my focus is right now."

Corey's latest comments echo those he made in June, when he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "Yeah, [STONE SOUR is] kind of [on] the backburner right now. We all kind of felt that we did exactly what we wanted to do on 'Hydrograd' [album] and we're just giving it a minute. I talked to the guys in the band about the solo thing and what I wanted to do, and they were all totally onboard with it. Everybody else has kind of got things going on, so they're all cool. Josh is actually working on a solo thing of his own, which is great. So, yeah, I think STONE SOUR is kind of on hiatus right now, which is fine. If someday we wanna get back together and do some stuff, it'll be bigger than it was. But for right now, we're all kind of focused on kind of doing our own thing. But you never say never in this business."

PSYCHOSEXUAL, featuring former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer on vocals as the Devil Daddy character, has shared another new song, "The Torture Never Stops". Listen and watch the (slightly NSFW) lyric video below. The track is taken from PSYCHOSEXUAL's second album, "Unholy Hymns For The Children", which has had its release date pushed back to the fall from the previously announced July 2. The exact date will be announced shortly.

"'The Torture Never Stops' is a bit of a heavier track," Spencer says. "It's decent for releasing hate while working out at the gym. Or for the haters, it's a perfect title and it's self-descriptive! Enjoy!"

Regarding the upcoming LP, Spencer says: "'Unholy Hymns For The Children' is just as unholy for everyone else, but we wanted to piss off Walmart, so we named it that. This record is the first of many, so haters get ready to hate and fans get ready to experience what's been missing from rock 'n' roll for a long time."

Last month, PSYCHOSEXUAL released the official music video for its previous single, "Devil From Hell".

"It announces we're basically coming here to kill it as much as we can," Spencer said about the track. "I found my own way and made my stance. This is the best way to introduce the world to this band. We're ready to make a fucking wave."

In March, Spencer spoke to "Drag The Waters: The Pantera Podcast" about his decision to remove all the previously released music and videos from PSYCHOSEXUAL ahead of the arrival of "Devil From Hell".

"When you make records, they're like snapshots in time," Jeremy explained. "We made the first thing pretty fast, and I just threw it out independently. And we had started the next record right away, and 'Devil From Hell' happened. And I'm, like, 'Fuck, man. I really like this. I wish this would have been the first thing that we dropped.' So it's, like, you know what? Nobody even really knows much about the other music, which I do like, but I think this is more appropriate of where we kind of wanna debut; this is what I wanted to be the first thing. So it's kind of like a reboot — we're starting over. I'll release the other music down the road again, but this second record will technically be our first. [Laughs]"

Regarding "Devil From Hell", Jeremy said: "It's a little different than the previous material that we've been working on. It's a little heavier. We do all kinds of stuff — it's not just metal or whatever; it's kind of eclectic. But this one's definitely a stomper. I'm pretty happy with it. The video turned out really cool too."

Spencer, who handles lead vocals in PSYCHOSEXUAL, also addressed the negative reaction the band's early music videos received from the FIVE FINGER fans, some of whom were turned off by the new project's theatrical presentation and goth-flavored sound.

"That's okay," Jeremy said. "Not everyone's gonna dig what you do. I mean, it's how it is in DEATH PUNCH too; we would release stuff, and you get hated on. You can't please everyone. We always made records for ourselves, and then you hope people like it. You can't control it. And we were fortunate enough to have a large fanbase that did appreciate what we did. And I think we'll find the audience for this as well. It's not for everyone, but I'm doing what I love to do, and I'm a big fan of theatrics. I do like goth music, I do love metal. I'm gonna put it all in a blender, [and] it's gonna be a lot of fun. And I hope that people wanna join us on the journey. And when we finally get to play freakin' shows, hopefully people can come out and have a good time and see what we're all about."

PSYCHOSEXUAL released its debut album, "Torch The Faith", last July. It was co-produced by Spencer and Shawn McGhee (DROWNING POOL) and released via Spencer's 6eX Records. The debut premiered at No. 150 on the Billboard 200 chart, reaching No. 5 on the Hard Music Albums, No. 12 on Top New Artist Albums and No. 30 on Current Rock Albums.

Prior to the arrival of "Devil From Hell", PSYCHOSEXUAL's last release was the covers EP "Songs To Stalk You By", which came out last November. The EP reunited Spencer with former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook, who contributed solos on the KISS classic "Watchin' You" and QUEENSRŸCHE's "Gonna Get Close To You". The recordings marked the first time the pair had worked together since both parted ways with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

Spencer, who sports a Mephistophelian mask as Devil Daddy, is joined in PSYCHOSEXUAL by guitarist Crucifer, bassist Astaroth and drummer Volac.

Jeremy, who co-founded FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with guitarist Zoltan Bathory, left the band so that he could undergo back surgery in the fall of 2018 that required a significant recovery period.

Spencer's replacement in FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is Charlie "The Engine" Engen. Engen made his recording debut with the band on the "F8" album, which came out in February 2020.

BEARTOOTH has released another new song "Fed Up". The track, which can be streamed below, is taken from the band's fourth studio album, "Below", which will arrive on June 25 via Red Bull Records.

"'Fed Up' was written mid lockdown," says singer Caleb Shomo. "I really couldn't think of what to write about so I just started thinking, 'What am I fed up with in life at the moment?' and wrote it down. The vibe of this song is garage rock with muddy, blown-out tones. We mixed that with the more pop styling on the vocals, and it made for a really special track."

Shomo previously stated about the "Below" LP: "'Below' is by far my favorite album I've made to date. It covers the dark side of dealing with mental strain during the last year. I gave it all I had — musically and lyrically. Is it too dark? Possibly, but it was as honest as I could be about how I felt. I hope everyone is ready to strap in for a wild ride of headbanging and rocking."

"Below" track listing:

01. Below

02. Devastation

03. The Past Is Dead

04. Fed Up

05. Dominate

06. No Return

07. Phantom Pain

08. Skin

09. Hell Of It

10. I Won't Give It Up

11. The Answer

12. The Last Riff

Last July, Shomo told "Mosh Talks With Beez" about the writing and recording sessions for "Below": "I worked on a lot of this album on the road — a whole lot of this record. We honestly could not have been luckier with the way our record cycle laid out.

"The 'Disease' tour in Europe was our last tour of the cycle, and that finished on March 6th, I believe. And then the next week, everything got shut down. So we already planned to kind of take most of this year off. We planned on not taking it all off, like we're probably gonna have to.

"I'd already worked on a ton of the record, just writing out on the road; I brought a studio rig out there. And that was great.

"When it first started, the whole lockdown thing, I just kind of emotionally shut down for a month," he continued. "But then I just kind of caught a second wind, and I've just been ripping through songs. It's pretty cool."

Asked if the BEARTOOTH songwriting "formula" is still present in the band's new material, Caleb said: "I think that something about the BEARTOOTH sound is sort of that formula. BEARTOOTH has a song structure — it's the classic pop structure of intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, out. But with this one, I've just been trying to amp up everything. 'Cause with the last record, I really wanted to go for that super-raw, live-rock-and-roll-in-the-old-school-studio and old-school-console sound, and it was rad, and I loved doing it. And it was proving to myself that I can make a real record without computers — well, [without] heavily relying on computers. But I don't know… I just kind of realized, like, you know what? That's what I learned as a producer. I came up in the era of mixing in the box and recording in the box, which means using plug-ins and emulations and things like that. I've just been kind of using that to try and push it a little further. The formula is still there, but I don't think it's in a bad way. I think it's the formula people want from a BEARTOOTH record.

"This one is just jacked," he explained. "Everything is amped up to 11. I am so, so pumped. Obviously, this is what you wanna think when you're making a record, but damn, this is the best one yet. Not even close. This is the heaviest record. This is my best work — the most proud I've been of these songs. It's wild. It's some heavy-duty shit."

Speaking about the musical direction of the new BEARTOOTH songs, Shomo said: "The easiest way I've been trying to explain this record to people without giving too much away is if 'Disease' was AC/DC, this record is BLACK SABBATH. It's a lot more influenced in dark stoner rock, heavy power groove. Obviously, there's still a lot of fast [stuff] and some punk rock and all that, but I've really been exploring with the stoner metal side of guitars and guitar tones and doing different tunings and lots of fuzz and chaos and layering the fuck out of my guitar tracks.

"The whole point, for me, of this mix and the sonics of this record is as big and loud and fucking sonically devastating as I can possibly get it," he said. "So on a breakdown, for example, where on 'Disease' it would just be left guitar, right guitar, bass down the middle, this is literally… That little clip I posted [on Instagram ] is I think eight guitars, three bass tracks. Just experimenting — just doing dumb stoner shit and just trying my fucking best. Yeah, that's the goal — is just sonic devastation, for sure."

BEARTOOTH's latest release was the folk- and country music-inspired "The Blackbird Session" EP, which came out in September 2019.

The band's third album, "Disease", was released in September 2018 via Red Bull Records. The disc was recorded at BlackBird studio in Franklin, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz (DEFTONES, KORN, FOO FIGHTERS).

TIMES OF GRACE, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, returns after a 10-year hiatus with its second album "Songs Of Loss And Separation", out July 16 via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA worldwide.

Today, the band has shared the video for the new song "The Burden Of Belief". The clip, directed by Nick Hipa, can be seen below.

Churning depths of plaintive sorrow, stark self-examination, and moving soundscapes unfold in TIMES OF GRACE, with flashes of cathartic power and an undercurrent of insistent urgency. It's all a meditation on absence, grief, bewilderment, and rebirth — summoned with harrowing authenticity. "The Burden Of Belief", the opening track on "Songs Of Loss And Separation", is a dark and melodic slow burn that gives an epic sense of what's to come.

"This song is the spark of the oncoming fire," says Leach. "It foreshadows the journey of this album. This song is an unveiling of who we, TIMES OF GRACE, have become after all of these years. This is a testimony of falling apart, losing faith, letting go, and the desire to kill and purge the past. It is the unraveling, the catharsis and the rebirth. So it begins...."

"It almost feels strange finally releasing the songs on this record, especially this one," says Dutkiewicz. "I started writing this song over 10 years ago, so it's been around for quite some time. I really hope you guys dig it, and I hope we will get the opportunity to play it for you guys live someday. Thanks, everyone!"

The band's debut album "The Hymn Of A Broken Man" arrived in 2011, nearly a decade after Leach's exit from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, the pivotal New Wave Of American Heavy Metal band the duo co-founded with friends in 1999. The first music from TIMES OF GRACE materialized during Dutkiewicz's arduous recovery from near-crippling back surgery. A collection of songs the multi-instrumentalist and producer knew would suit his once and future bandmate. The first album earned acclaim from BBC Music, The Aquarian and Rock Sound. It willfully upended expectations, with flourishes of shoegaze and ambiance in its songs.

Now, 10 years after TIMES OF GRACE first surfaced, the eagerly awaited follow-up arrives.

Comfortably stretched beyond the parameters of what came before, without sacrificing an ounce of integrity, TIMES OF GRACE weaves between pensive, heavy, midtempo rock, riffs, and atmosphere. The pair's vocal interplay makes for a rich, dense, and enthralling concoction, powering through various trips through dark nights of the soul and mind-expanding excursions into the wild. "Songs Of Loss And Separation" benefits wildly from the powerhouse performance of ex-ENVY ON THE COAST drummer Dan Gluszak, who toured behind the first album and is now an official member of the band.

The sprawling second album from TIMES OF GRACE, with a stunning album cover painted by John McCormack and album art layout by Tom Bejgrowicz, channels a dissonant, menacing, and unrelenting depression. Haunting romanticism and deep spiritual yearning collide in beautiful melancholy. It's a diverse but singular statement, like the most beloved work of classic bands. "Songs Of Loss And Separation", insistent in its bluesiness, bleeds distortion and emotion, like a nerve, exposed.

"Songs Of Loss And Separation" track listing:

01. The Burden Of Belief

02. Mend You

03. Rescue

04. Far From Heavenless

05. Bleed Me

06. Medusa

07. Currents

08. To Carry The Weight

09. Cold

10. Forever

Last December, Leach said that he and Dutkiewicz were "finalizing" things for the new record's release. He also blamed the album's delay on the fact that 2020 was "a shitshow," in part due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "We just wanna make sure it comes out properly — the way that we want it to be presented, and have some good visual ideas and some good artwork," he explained. "And we found a good home at a label. So all of that is wrapping up."

Back in August, Dutkiewicz told the Metal Blade Live Series that he was "really excited" about the new TIMES OF GRACE material. "There's some pretty mellow vibes on that record, for sure," he said. "It's definitely one of the darkest things I've ever written topically."

In July, Leach told the "BREWtally Speaking Podcast" that the new TIMES OF GRACE album is "leaps and bounds better [than 2011's 'The Hymn Of A Broken Man']. It's more creative, it's more genuine, I feel," he said. "I feel like there was definitely a bleed-in of KILLSWITCH influence on that first record, and how could there not be, with me and Adam working together. And I feel like this new record sort of pulls away from that and really sort of defines us and our sound as TIMES OF GRACE, where I listen back to 'Live In Love' [from the first TIMES OF GRACE album] and certain songs like that, and you can hear the KILLSWITCH influence. And that's cool, and fans, I'm sure, appreciated that, but I'm very happy to pull away from that and do something different for this new record."

Leach went on to speak in more detail about TIMES OF GRACE's musical progression and the band's plans to release a full-length album and a separate EP.

"It's a mixed bag [of musical styles]," he told "BREWtally Speaking Podcast". "There's definitely some of that sort of bluesy [stuff] — definitely a lot of blues, I should say. But it comes in different forms. I'd say there's a mixture of a touch of some stoner vibes going on there. There's definitely a touch of, like, I guess the term would be 'post metal,' atmospheric metal — guitars with a lot of delay and space with big, heavy bass and slow-moving stuff. There's more rock and roll, more indie rock. And there's still traces of the metal that we're known for here and there."

He continued: "I think with the direction we're heading in, and why there's gonna be two releases, this first release we wanted to make sure it sort of didn't really have any of that heavy KILLSWITCH-y vibe to it. So the first record is going to be what I feel is our signature sound that we've sort of embraced, and it just kind of happened through Adam's writing. And then the EP will be a little bit more of the metal that you have come to know and reflect on the first record. So it's a real mixed bag. And I'm glad to say I don't think you can really put a genre on us because of that. We'll see. I'm sure people are gonna still call it metalcore. I don't even know what the fuck that term means anymore. But I'm happy to say that I think that we are no longer going to be called that style of music, because I think we're more of a heavy metal/rock band, if you will."

"The Hymn Of A Broken Man" was released in January 2011 via Roadrunner Records. The CD sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 44 on The Billboard 200 chart.